Vikings star tight end T.J. Hockenson feels completely healthy and is nearing a return to action, but that return isn't expected to take place on Sunday against the Lions.
It's been nearly ten months since Hockenson tore his ACL and MCL on a hit from a Lions defender last Christmas Eve, and almost nine months since Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed his ACL repair surgery in Los Angeles. He's been running full-speed routes for a while and feels great, but running routes on air is different than playing in an NFL game.
"You need reps," Hockenson said on Thursday. "I've ran the last five months on air and kind of detailing everything up again, and feeling body in space and feeling where to put my footwork and all that stuff. So now it's just going out and not worrying about all that stuff. Just forgetting about footwork and not thinking about where your feet go and just winning and going out there and playing football again."
As head coach Kevin O'Connell put it, he's "gotta get acclimated back into football a little bit."
The good news is that everything has gone to plan over the course of Hockenson's rehab, to the point where he says he actually feels better than he did before the injury.
"It's healed, from test when I was healthy to test now, it's stronger than it's probably ever been," he said. "I've passed every test by miles from where my where my ground base was. I'm bigger, stronger, faster than ever.
That rehab process has been very detailed and deliberate, from the time of his surgery up through his work in practice this week. The Vikings' medical staff had a plan and they've stuck to it. They've been closely involved the whole time, from his rehab in LA to workouts in Nashville and at TCO Performance Center. It's included all kinds of tracking data, recording video of Hockenson's workouts on side fields so they can be watched back, communication with ElAttrache, and much more.
"When you're going through a injury like that, you really find out who's on your side and the Vikings were there every single step of the way," Hockenson said. "They've been incredible. I can't say enough good things about Tyler (Williams), (Matt Duhamel) and the PT staff in there and obviously KO has been there every single step of the way, Kwesi (Adofo-Mensah). The ownership has called me a few times. ... It's really been a smooth transition from every single part of the process and every single goal because of the guys in there and the guys up top."
Hockenson has remained engaged with the team during this 5-0 start by helping prepare the other tight ends in meetings and listening to O'Connell's play calls on the sideline during games. He's itching to get back out there, but for as much as he'd love to play in Sunday's game, a return against the Rams next Thursday or the Colts in Week 9 is more realistic.
"I'm just excited to be out there and be in the huddle again," he said.
